


Navigating Domesticity

by kristen999



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: A little angst, Drama, M/M, Slash, a little fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-05-05 14:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5378675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristen999/pseuds/kristen999
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny moves in with Steve and learns the subtle secrets to make living with a Navy SEAL a success.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Navigating Domesticity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [imaginary_iby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_iby/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Navigating Domesticity [Podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6761461) by [librarychick_94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/librarychick_94/pseuds/librarychick_94). 



> Now available as a Podfic! Be sure to check out the wonderful audio version by librarychick_94. 
> 
>  
> 
> Another holiday gift-fic. :) I wanted to thank my betas Amy and Ignemferam for their wonderful suggestions!  
> 

***

It only took a few hours to move in all of Danny’s stuff thanks to the helping hands from the whole team; he owed everyone a lot of beer. Steve’s meticulous pre-planning was ridiculous, but Danny had to admit numbering all the boxes with room designations actually did save time. He surveyed the contents of his life; all stuffed inside cardboard and surrounded by Styrofoam peanuts, and swallowed against the sudden bout of nerves that filled his chest. 

Steve walked toward him with a clipboard, his sleeveless shirt soaked with sweat. “Okay, if we break for lunch for half an hour, we can unpack and store everything by tonight.” He looked over at Danny expectantly. “Everything all right?”

_No. Maybe?_

Danny swallowed, mind going a thousand miles an hour. He had to get a hold of himself; this wasn’t the result of some decision made on a whim. He wanted this, they both did. 

“Yeah. Everything’s good,” Danny said, giving Steve a reassuring smile that fell flat.

Steve put the clipboard on top of the nearest box and walked over, wrapping his arms around Danny’s shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay. I promise.”

Danny sighed, bowing his head against Steve’s chest. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s bugging me. We’ve planned this for the last two months. Painstakingly so,” he added, recalling many late night talks. “It’s just that…”

“You’re waiting for the worst to happen,” Steve said, finishing Danny’s sentence, demonstrating how in tune they were with each other. How they always were. “But nothing bad is going to happen. Rachel has our blessing, Grace is thrilled, and I,” he paused, drawing a breath. “I can’t wait to wake up with you beside me every morning.”

“That,” Danny said with a smile, “was an amazing use of words.”

“Well, that was the deal, right? Part of our agreement for doing all of this,” Steve said, waving a hand at Danny’s things. 

Agreeing to use more verbal communication had been one of Danny’s requirements before he packed a single box. Steve had very reluctantly even practiced by using scenarios from their therapy workbooks. 

Danny nodded, shaking off his fears, basking in the start of his new life with the man beside him. “Yeah, it was.”

***  
Before he moved in with Steve, Danny had spent many nights at Steve’s house, sometimes long enough that his house plants died from lack of water. Paying rent had become like burning money. So, he was used to helping out with housework, washing dishes at night, and the Sunday afternoon routine of dusting, sweeping, and general cleaning. Laundry was on Saturday nights and sometimes during the midweek depending how many clothes were ruined from the hazards of the job.

But Danny did draw a line at certain things. “Despite what was drilled into your head by some Marine sergeant, we do not need to bounce a quarter off the bed sheets.”

Steve stood in his boxers, arms crossed over his bare chest, hair mussed up from sleep. “It was my Master Chief and it’s not about bouncing a coin; it’s about the proper way to make a neat bed.”

Danny was slightly confused, when had these rigid standards become a thing? Maybe Steve was having a cranky morning. “A neat bed is pulling the sheets back from where you slept and throwing the pillow back on top.” 

“And hospital corners are the proper way to tuck the end of the sheet between the mattress and box springs. I know they can be a little intimidating but –”

“Excuse me. Intimidating?” Danny scoffed, unable to contain his sarcasm. “Intimidating is trying to figure out my taxes or making lasagna using my great grandmother’s recipe. But ensuring each bed sheet is taut by using a 45 degree angle? That’s being an OCD Navy SEAL.”

“It’s the secret to a tight bed.” Steve had that face, the one that said he was one hundred percent serious about this and would not back down.

Danny couldn’t believe it was nine in the morning, he hadn’t had breakfast or even his morning cup of coffee, and they were arguing about hospital corners. “A bed is meant to sleep in or lounge around on during the weekends, or if we’re real lucky, messing up the sheets and maybe even kicking them off the bed if things are going really good.”

“More the reason to maintain proper –”

“No, it’s not the reason to do anything.” Danny held up his hand to prevent Steve from arguing over him. “I will follow your cleaning schedule, even scrub the refrigerator every fourth Friday of the month.” He rolled his eyes, only Steve had a cleaning agenda. “But I am not going to put this much effort into something only a few minutes after I wake up each day.”

Steve blinked at him confused, like he couldn’t fathom why Danny was arguing about this and not following his instructions. 

Danny sighed, feeling both annoyed and fond. He walked over and cupped each side of Steve’s face, enjoyed the feel of Steve’s stubbled jaw. “What if I go to the farmer’s market to buy fruit and veggies instead of the grocery store from now on and I leave you in charge of the bed making?”

Steve stood there thinking. “You’ll buy the kombucha I like?”

Danny bit his lip because he really loathed paying twice as much for it at the local market, however there was an art to compromise. “You have a deal.”

Steve got that look, the one he wore when he thought he’d won some impressive battle, or cuffed a suspect after a three mile chase. Danny would let him bask in a little triumph now so he’d mellow out by this afternoon. 

Steve was still grinning when he started yanking off the blankets, tugging and tucking to his heart’s delight. “You know, since we don’t have any plans this morning, you could join me for my run.”

Danny laughed. “Not a chance, babe. You go do your thing; I have plans for later tonight.”

“Why limit yourself to tonight?” Steve said while he lifted the mattress, treating Danny to the flexing of his strong back.

Resisting the urge to tackle Steve to his perfectly made bed, Danny grabbed a pair of fresh boxers from the drawer and headed toward the shower. Maybe Steve would go for ten miles today, strenuous exercise always worked up his appetite – for everything.

***  
Danny preferred using a laptop to a tablet, he liked keyboards and a wired mouse, touch screens were over sensitive and difficult to use. But they had their advantages as he held up his Lenovo and took a picture of the leather sofa then the wall behind it. Sitting on the edge of the recliner, he took the images and entered them into the program on the Home and Garden’s website that Grace had shown him the other day.

“This should give us some suggestions for colors,” he said, watching the icon as it counted down the seconds until the program was complete.

“The dimensions of the living room rug are ten by ten,” Steve said, coming around the chair, the _chink_ of the tape measure loud as it snapped back. He peered over Danny’s shoulder. “What’s the result?”

“That depends. Do we want earth tones or a brown color scheme?”

“Aren’t they the same thing?”

“Not according to this.” Danny titled the screen so Steve could see. “I think it has to do with the accent colors?”

Steve scrutinized the results. “Chocolate Fudge looks good.”

“Best wall colors: neutrals - examples, milky white, warm grey. Best wood stains: dark hardwoods with or without reddish bias.” Danny glanced at the ugly beige of Steve’s current walls. “Um, so you basically want the same pallet that we have now?”

Steve pointed at the images from the mock living room of the website. “That looks nicer.”

“That’s because it’s not over thirty years old.” Danny ignored Steve’s scowl and scrolled down. “How about the Chestnut Season color set? It’s still a brown color scheme, but with warmer hues.”

Steve studied the description. “Best wall colors: Neutrals - white/grey, pale misty blue, pale terracotta. What the hell is pale terracotta?”

“Something that’s not beige.” Danny pointed at the swatch of color suggestions. “Best wood stains: deep chestnut brown or, antique cherry. I like it, nothing too bold, but an updated look.”

Steve made a hmming noise. It wasn’t quite a shut down, but definably not accepting. Danny looked over at the window. “Once we replace these hideous green curtains –“

“What’s wrong with the curtains?”

“Babe, they have yellow palm leaves on them.” Steve stared at him like this was the first time they’d had this conversation. “We talked about this, remember? During three different dinners.”

“Yeah, we discussed about new paint and rugs.”

“Yes, and you know, some of the outdated decor?” 

Danny looked at the painting on the east wall that looked like it’d been bought at a 1970s garage sale and all the framed photos of Hawaii by the door were nice for a doctor’s office, but they seemed out of place in the living room. It wasn’t like he’d become an interior decorating snob, his first apartment had been a deathtrap under a layer of dust, but this was his home now, it was a shared space.

But Steve’s expression was akin to a man experiencing heartburn. Danny put the tablet on the coffee table and walked toward him, rubbing a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. We agreed to take it one room at a time, no rush, not major overhaul. The furniture stays, all the nautical equipment isn’t going anywhere,” Danny said, looking at a wheel of a ship on the wall under the landing of the stairs.

And he wouldn’t dare touch any of Steve’s model ships, or the mementos and paraphernalia from his Navy days. 

“No, it’s fine. We did discuss everything.” Steve looked around the room looking both melancholy and thoughtful. “This was long overdue.”

Danny thought of all the years Steve had spent in this house since his father’s death. It’d been more like a museum than a home, still exactly the same as the day Steve had been sent away to the mainland. Everything except maybe the high definition TV and newest video game system. Danny was going to enjoy those.

“I was even thinking about getting a surround sound system,” Steve said casually, wandering over and pondering the corners of the room. His fingers played with the button on the tape measure. 

Danny watched Steve assess things, probably figuring out where to hang the speaker wires, maybe even how many watts each speaker could have, the type of receiver. Danny could watch Steve ponder and analyze things all day. 

“A surround sound system, huh?” Danny asked.

Steve got the smuggest grin. “This way you could enjoy _Enemy Mine_ in all its glory.”

“Do not mock my film choices, Steven. You have no room to talk considering the totality of your DVD collection is 80’s horror movies and the special edition of _Top Gun._ ”

“Can you imagine how great those F-14 engines would sound with a killer subwoofer?”

“I will not allow you to damage my hearing just so you can relive the sound of jets taking off and landing.”

Steve wrapped an arm around Danny’s shoulders, tugging him close. “When Grace comes over again, she can design the guestroom. I want her to feel comfortable when she spends the night.”

“She’s thirteen which means the colors of the walls are going to change with every fad.”

“We’ll get one of those discount club cards; one free gallon of paint for every ten.”

Danny laughed, but he knew Steve would paint Grace’s room lavender one day and polka dotted the next if she asked. And he’d do it so she’d feel at home. Just as he was willing to redecorate his house after decades of it being untouched so it felt like Danny’s home as well. 

He looked over at Steve with a tender, but playful smile. “Does this mean we can do our bedroom next?”

“Are we talking buying Egyptian sheets?”

“That’s a good start.” Anything was better than what he slept with currently. Danny snatched the tablet from the coffee table and began searching bedrooms. “I’m sure this might have some good ideas as well.”

“Something bolder than Chestnut Season?” Steve asked with a hint of mischief. 

“Why not?”

And perhaps Danny would suggest putting in a window air conditioning unit – maybe next week.

***  
The phrase _our house_ had such a wonderful ring to it; never had such few words invoked such happiness, although the words _their bedroom_ sent a tingle down Danny’s spine. Walking out of the shower, he grabbed a towel to dry off, admitting to himself that perhaps the warm water and soap suds had influenced his current musings. His grinned as he wrapped the towel around his waist.

Danny walked out of the bathroom, droplets of water running through his hair, down the sides of his face. Steve was sitting up in bed, pillows propped up behind his back as he paged some novel.

“Hey,” Danny said, hooking a thumb between his towel and waist. 

Steve didn’t look up. “Hey.”

Danny dropped the towel to the floor as he crawled on top of the blanket naked, Steve peered over his book. “Did you dry off first?”

“Did I what? Are you kidding me, Steven?”

Throughout the first few days of moving in with each other, sex had been frequent and spontaneous, needy after a rough case; playful during early morning hours. But after those first few intense months, things had tampered off. 

“Was there something you needed, Danno?” Steve asked a little more teasingly.

While Steve’s voice held a mischievous tone, Danny couldn’t help but wonder if they were in a little bit of a rut. “I was thinking, maybe we could try something new tonight?”

Steve’s eyebrows rose in curiosity. “Really?”

It wasn’t the most enthusiastic response, but Danny could work with it. Steve was shirtless, and relaxed, his jaw covered with a day’s worth of scruff, hair slightly spiky from his own shower. Danny was already feeling aroused. 

“Yeah,” he paused while he ran through various ideas. “Um, how about, the rocking chair?”

Steve’s brow furrowed and Danny shook his head. He really needed to exchange Steve’s reading material for something more appropriate for the bedroom. “It’s when you’d lie on your back and pull your legs to your chest and I…” Danny cleared his throat, feeling a little self conscious. “Or maybe I could show you?”

“Right now?”

Danny almost smacked Steve on his pretty head. 

It wasn’t like Danny had much to complain about, he and Steve had made out in the car, had sex on the sofa, even up against a wall once. They did spontaneous well. But variety kept a sex life healthy and something as simple as switching positions could really spice things up. 

Danny needed to impress this upon Steve, tonight seemed like a good time to plant the seed.

“We don’t have to tonight if you don’t want to. But if you ever wanted to try something different or, you know, more challenging sometime; I’d be game.” Steve looked at him in either apprehension or confusion. It was a little difficult to tell.

Danny stopped himself from sighing. Steve probably was used to quickies in bunk beds or random spots behind bushes or supply closets. Maybe he’d never had a chance to explore other pleasures or maybe it’d never occurred to him to even try. Being forced to hide or repress your most basic desires, like sexual preference was bound to have long reaching effects.

“I know you don’t like talking about stuff,” he said, sitting beside Steve. “But it’s okay to try new things.”

“I’m not afraid of doing something new.”

“Yeah?” When Steve didn’t elaborate, Danny tried to grease the wheels. “I think you like it when I’m a little rough.”

“I’m not into pain.”

“I didn’t say you were, and if you did, I’d want you to tell me.” Danny ran a hand along Steve’s side, tracing one of his ribs. “I want to know what you enjoy.”

“I enjoy being with you.”

“And I love that, babe. But have you ever wanted to try, I don’t know, a toy, or something from your favorite porn?”

Steve frowned and it reaffirmed to Danny that Steve may have never indulged in such thoughts. 

“If you want to try something else Danny, tell me. I could get one of those catalogues, you could pick something out.” Steve tensed beside him, like he was about run downstairs and logon the computer, or run to the nearest adult store. “If I’m not satisfying you, I could –”

“Babe, no, that’s not what I’m saying. You satisfy me, I promise,” Danny quickly reassured him. He held onto Steve’s hand, squeezing it, but Steve still looked unsure, and Danny squeezed it even tighter. “Look at me, babe.” Steve licked his lips, registering a rare type of insecurity. Danny gave Steve every ounce of his focus, his voice deeply sincere. “You are considerate and thoughtful and desperate with the need to please me. It drives me crazy in a very, very good way; because all I can think about is how to make you as greedy for my touch as I am for yours. All I want is to feel and taste you, and; yeah,” Danny paused, taking a breath, a little dazed. “So, believe me when I say, I wasn’t criticizing; I was just talking.”

Steve squeezed his hand back, his face relaxing. “I believe you.” He cleared his throat looking a little hesitant. “Are you talking about something like role play?”

“Does that interest you?” Danny traced his finger around the swirls of ink around his bicep. Steve was a tactile person, he enjoyed being touched, something Danny took pleasure in doing. “Is there anything you wanted to act out?” Steve turned his head away so the answer must have been yes. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s just you and me. You can trust me.”

Steve looked back at Danny with the most heartfelt expression. “I trust you Danny. I just…I get my pleasure out of making sure you’re fulfilled.”

“And you do, don’t ever doubt that.” Danny kissed Steve’s lips, soft and languid, wrapping his hand behind Steve’s head. He pulled away from the kiss and watched Steve’s eyes get that intense, focused look, knowing it was all for Danny. “I love you and I love how exhausted and satisfied you make me feel.”

Steve made a low noise in his throat, pulling Danny almost into his lap. “I think I might like…” he licked his lips, running his fingers through the curls of hair on Danny’s chest. “I think I’d like you to show me what you were talking about earlier.”

“Are you sure? We don’t have—”

Steve kissed Danny, all tongue and lips and heat, until Danny had to pull away to catch his breath. Steve rubbed his hand over Danny’s cheek, brushed a thumb over his mouth. “I want to. I want to experience everything with you. And I might have a few ideas about something we could try, but maybe another time?”

Danny grinned, overcome with happiness, knowing this was a big step for them both. “Yes, of course. There’s no pressure.” Danny couldn’t wait to touch and feel Steve all over again tonight. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“Well, I hope to show you how amazing in just a little bit,” Steve said, cocky and self assured. 

Steve’s bravado only made Danny more eager and he pushed Steve until he was on his back. “Oh, I’m counting on that.”

***  
The one thing about Steve’s house Danny had noticed over time was how loud everything sounded: the creaky stairs, the few loose shingles in the roof, the ocean waves in the middle of the night, and the loud pounding feet of a six foot goof.

Somewhere in the other room he heard a bellowing growl followed by the laughter of one of the most precious voices to Danny’s ears. He poured Kono a smoothie from the blender while it sounded like an elephant ran around.

Danny poured the rest of the banana, strawberry, and kiwi concoction into his own glass while Kono arched a curious eyebrow at him. “What? After six months of butter coffee, whey protein shakes, and a recent gluten free kick, fruit smoothies are pretty blasé.” He took a long gulp to prove it. 

Kono drank her glass when a loud yell came from the living room. “Sea monster attack!”

“Brah,” she said with a laugh. “Is it always this crazy here on the weekends?”

A crash, followed by Charlie’s giggle; made Danny put down his glass. “Only on most Saturdays. Come on; let’s see what kind of damage’s been done.” 

Kono quickly followed Danny from the kitchen into the living room where Steve stood in a pair of boardies beside a busted lamp on the floor, with Charlie around his shoulders. 

Danny’s son pointed at the damage with delight. “Look at what the sea monster did, daddy!”

Danny sighed, grabbing a broom and dustpan and quickly swept up the mess up. “I see,” he said dumping the contents in the trashcan by the door. Putting the broom away, he turned to look at Steve, crossing his arms over his chest. “Am I living with two children in this house, or three? Because based on the look and sound of things around here, I’m running a daycare.”

Kono chuckled behind him and Danny ignored her as he patiently waited an explanation. Steve didn’t even pretend to be embarrassed. “What can I say; sea monsters can be treacherous, mighty creatures of the deep.”

“Right, why should I expect an adult response coming from a human octopus?” Danny shook his head. “Although I’m curious what a sea monster is doing on dry land? Don’t they belong in the ocean?”

Steve bounced on his feet, Charlie still laughing as he clung to him like a monkey. “We’re waiting on Grace and Auntie Kono to get ready before heading to the beach.”

Speaking of Grace, Danny looked down the hallway for her when the outside door opened up, Grace bounding inside in her swimsuit. “Sorry. I left my sunscreen in car, but look who I found driving up!”

Nahele slowly wandered inside dressed in swim trunks and a towel slung over his shoulder. He waved at Steve in uncertainty. “Are we still hitting the waves today?”

“I think that was next weekend, but we were all about to go snorkeling,” Steve said, hooking a thumb toward the lanai. 

Danny cleared his throat and Steve shot him a smile. “I meant most of us were going snorkeling. Why don’t you come with us?”

“I don’t want to intrude,” Nahele said, looking hesitant. 

“Nonsense, dude,” Kono piped up. “Besides, after last night’s storm, the waves are too calm to do any major shredding.”

Nahele smiled shyly. “Okay, cool.”

Kono gestured at Grace. “You ready?”

“Yeah, let me grab my mask and snorkel.” 

Danny watched her take off toward her bedroom while Kono went to the kitchen to grab her stuff, Nahele’s smile widening as she left.

“Hey, I wouldn’t even think of it,” Steve said in warning. Nahele got a deer in headlights look, but Steve grinned and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. “She’s married.”

Nahele looked relieved at Steve’s lighter tone, ducking his head in embarrassment. 

Charlie must have gotten bored from the lack of sea monster action because he began shaking Steve by the shoulders. “Are we going swimming now?”

Steve began bouncing him around again. “As soon as Danno is ready.”

“Come on daddy,” Charlie demanded.

“You guys go ahead, I’ll grab the blankets.”

Charlie pulled at Steve’s sleeveless shirt with an expression of pure glee and Steve held onto Charlie legs as he bounded toward the back, making another bellowing roar. Kono came out of the kitchen and slid open the door for Steve and Charlie to go bounding outside. 

“Hey, wait for me!” Grace hollered, snorkel in hand, mask dangling around her neck. “You coming?” she asked Nahele.

The teen followed Grace, stopping a second when he walked by Danny. “You guys really have a full house, brah.” 

Danny watched Nahele and Grace go outside to join Steve and his son on the beach, the sounds of laughter filling his ears. 

He felt a soft hand on his arm and he looked over at Kono who had her own fond smile. “What a beautiful ohana.”

Danny felt his chest fill with unimaginable emotion; it almost took his breath away at how happy he felt. Draping an arm around Kono’s shoulders, he guided her onto the lanai. “We better go join them before a certain sea monster turns my kids into fish.”

***  
The ironic thing about living in a house where sound traveled was how quiet it could be when it was empty. Danny flipped through channels, trying to fill the void with white noise, eyes drifting around the room. Sighing, he searched for his phone debating where to call for take-out when he heard a knock at the door. 

Jumping off the sofa, he swung the door open to reveal Chin standing there holding a pizza box. “Hey. I was driving around and thought maybe you’d like to watch the game?”

“And you brought dinner?” 

Chin cleared his throat. “A little too coincidental?”

Danny pinched his pointer finger and thumb together. “Just a little.” But he gave him a smile. “Steve put you up to this?”

“Maybe.”

The aroma of pepperoni only made Danny hungrier and he moved out of the way, waving Chin inside. After taking a few minutes to get out paper plates and napkins, Danny sat on the sofa, a slice in one hand, the remote in the other until he found a baseball game. 

Chin returned from the kitchen with a couple of beers, handing Danny a bottle before taking a seat on the recliner. “Enjoying the peace and quiet?”

“I have. It’s been wonderful, calming, and after two days -- boring.” Danny sipped his beer, glancing at the empty spot on the sofa next to him. “After I moved in, it was kind of nice to have a weekend off to myself every month. He’d go off to play Rambo and I had some me time.”

“Then once the newness wore off it stopped being fun.”

Danny swirled his drink, nodding.

Even though Steve was the head of Five-O, he was still a naval reservist with duties and responsibilities. While serving on the governor’s task force put him low on the list for being called up for duty in an emergency, Steve still trained heavily, especially if he wanted to remain qualified for the SEAL teams.

“I hated it when Malia would have to work an overnight or a double shift, sometimes both.” Chin looked thoughtful. “I mean, of course I understood. It’s not like the job wouldn’t pull me away for sixteen hours at a time if we were on a hot case, but it sucked when she wasn’t home with me.”

Danny’s eyes drifted to pictures on the wall of aircraft carriers, of naval ships and maps. “I know during his monthly drills, he’ll jump out of an airplane or practice disarming a bomb underwater.” 

“Conditioning exercises.”

Danny gave a tiny smile. “I know he loves getting to play with the Navy’s newest toys.” His grin slowly faded as he thought about some of the things he read or heard. “But during a weeklong drill they conduct fully simulated scenarios with live ammo and ordnance.”

“And it’s something he’s fully trained to handle, along with the rest of his team. He’s one of two thousand active SEALs in the world.”

“Reservist,” Danny said a little too snappish. But he knew Chin didn’t need to be corrected. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. Steve told me he thought this might be kind of tough on you.”

Danny felt that was both thoughtful and annoying of Steve. 

“It would have been fine. Except its Rachel’s parent’s fortieth wedding anniversary so she took the kids to England.” Danny finished the last swallow of his beer and put the bottle on the coffee table. “It was just bad timing.” 

He missed Steve; a lot, more than Danny ever thought he would. And if this was what it felt like when he was gone for a week, Danny couldn’t fathom what it was like for loved ones of active duty personnel. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of another beer and Danny looked up at Chin, grateful for having such a thoughtful and patient friend. “Thanks.”

“In five days, Steve will be back and driving you up the wall.” Chin held up his beer and Danny clinked their bottles together, both of them settling in for a lazy evening of baseball and pizza.

***  
Danny finished sweeping the garage floor before surveying all his hard work. Tools were organized, old oil cans had been recycled, and a certain hunk of junk was freshly dusted and the seats vacuumed. Danny felt a good kind of exhausted in his bones, his skin streaked with dirt. He checked his watch again, it was 1900 hours. 

Steve was supposed to be back from his week-long drill early this afternoon and now he was five hours late. There’d been no calls, no emails or texts, nothing. And Danny was out of distractions. He checked his cell again, nothing. 

In his heart Danny knew nothing was wrong, Steve had been ‘out on maneuvers’ in some ocean, some time zone. Any combination of ships and flights could have caused a delay. 

“You’re a Navy SEAL, the least you could do was pick up a sat phone,” he mumbled.

Worry was Danny’s constant companion, for his kids, his family, for his wild, crazy partner. Except as a parent he could call Grace’s school if she was ever late or Rachel if something was wrong. But he couldn’t call Steve’s CO at Pearl-Hickman regarding his travel status or even reach out to the Fleet and Family service that supported military members and their loved ones in an emergency. 

Because Danny wasn’t legally related to Steve. 

Danny felt his heart clench painfully and he leaned a hand on the wall, breath rapid from the highly unexpected thought. What the hell? He blinked, rubbing a hand over his sweaty face. He and Steve had been only living together for six months and he was already thinking of making it something more?

“Obviously the fumes in here have given me brain damage,” Danny said, walking into the kitchen. 

The evening newscast was blaring from the television, the anchorman’s voice tight about the casualties from some horrible tragedy overseas. He scrubbed his hands in the sink with a bar of soap, the suds thick and smelling of pine tar and sea kelp. And his thoughts wandered in dark chasms of paranoia about downed helicopters and explosions, of emergency deployments into hostile territory with Steve’s determined expression behind night visions goggles and camo paint.

Danny wouldn’t even receive one of those folded flags if something horrible had happened. 

The soaped slipped through his fingers and bounced off the counter onto the floor. Sonofabitch. Turning around, he searched the floor for the soap, and out of the corner of his eye Danny spotted a pair of boots in the kitchen doorway. His head shot up and he saw Steve standing in his green digital camo, a tired but ecstatic expression peering out from his cap. 

“Hey,” Steve said in gritty voice.

Danny quickly wiped his wet hands over his ratty shorts and cut the distance between them in three quick steps. Steve greeted him with an enormous hug, wrapping his arms around Danny’s shoulders, bringing them close. “Damn, I really missed you,” Steve breathed in Danny’s ear.

Steve smelled of jet fuel and old leather, his arms squeezing Danny like he was never going to let him go. And they stood there, holding each other, Danny memorizing the feel of Steve’s muscles, of the loud sound of his thumping heart.“I missed you too, missed you waking me up at the crack of dawn, missed you stealing my muffins and hogging all the blankets.”

“I never steal your muffin,” Steve mumbled, chuckling.

Danny pulled away so he could kiss his giant goof, but Steve beat him to it, bending down until his mouth found Danny’s, his kiss long and lush at first, then deepening with long sweeps of tongue, pulling away to nip at the edge of Danny’s jaw, and nibble along the tendon of Danny’s throat.

Danny relished the feel of teeth and lips on his skin as he trailed his hands up and down Steve’s back, feeling the trapped heat of Steve’s body seep through Danny’s thin t-shirt. 

Danny started feeling slightly dizzy from too little oxygen and the slam of too many emotions. “I need more, Steve, I –”

“We can take this to the bedroom, or, maybe the sofa,” Steve said, already beginning to manhandle Danny toward the living room. 

“No, I mean, yes, we can do that in a minute, but I’m talking about us, together, I want,” Danny took a deep, raspy breath trying to collect his thoughts.

“What do you need? Whatever it is –”

“I want to be more than your emergency medical contact for the team, I want to be listed on your naval papers or documents or whatever they’re called. I want us living together to mean more,” Danny licked his lips, feeling overwhelmed, like maybe he’s babbling, or being stupid.

Steve stroked the side of Danny’s face, the other curled behind his neck. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Danny blinked rapidly, his heart a hammer against his sternum. “You do?”

“I had twenty-two hours on three different transports to do a lot of thinking. So, yeah. I do.”

“Are you sure?” And Danny couldn’t believe the words coming out if his mouth despite how excited and relived he felt. Steve always seemed like the biggest commitment-phobe and Danny already had a failed marriage under his belt.

“You don’t plan on leaving do you?” Steve asked.

It was said in jest, but Danny knew how vulnerable Steve was to abandonment, how it molded and shaped him into the carefully guarded man he was today. How he stood before Danny with his barriers down, allowing Danny into a place where Steve had never allowed another person. 

“I’m always going to be here with you,” Danny said, promising with all his being.

“Then we’ll do what worked before we moved in together. Do some recon, create a plan, and complete the mission.”

“Only you could discuss marriage like a set of battle plans.” Danny took Steve’s hands in his, rubbing a thumb over the newest calluses. “But I accept the mission.” Then he laughed. “Now go jump in the shower. You smell like ten thousand miles of bad road.”

Steve smiled eyes warm. “Why don’t you join me? You reek like the greasy undercarriage of a car.”

“We say such lovely things to each other,” Danny said, blissfully content as he tugged Steve toward the upstairs. 

 

***  
fini-

I hang out here: http://thekristen999.tumblr.com/


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